Honestly, when you go out for a meal..

[obviouslyneedsupernanny]

Not necessarily anywhere special, even just breakfast in a cafe, is there much conversation over the meal? Basic small talk, actual interesting conversation, or total silence?

Yes. I'm constantly amazed that even after 20 years together, DH and I never run out of things to talk about. We might end up reading the papers sometimes, but usually we chat.

Depends who I go with.

Oh sorry, with DP yes. We generally chat.

With DH, sometimes we take a while to get going, talk abut the kids for 10 minutes or so, then boring house stuff but once we get in to the swing of it and remember that we are grown ups as well as parents, we can normally talk non stop.

Last time we went for lunch he struggled to talk to me about things. He has no life outside work so when we are not talkin about him he seems to forget i have a life.

Always talk.

Either small talk or actual interesting conversations. I wouldn't like having a meal out in silence.

DP is chatty, I'm not. So we go out and he talks, I listen (usually).

Yes, but usually there's about 5 minutes of silence first while we relax into the peace and quiet then we talk non stop.

Sometimes we play cards too - in pubs though, not restaurants.

We are both avid people watchers, usually we talk about people going past.

Yes. Honestly it's such a treat. I love uninterrupted conversation with him. He's clever and interesting.

We talk. But we've only been seeing each other for just under two years.

We do talk a lot about his family, my family. But also politics - a lot! - and what's been in the news.

Yes. Lots.

My dp can't shut up! One reason why i love him so... Always interesting and funny. We chat lots.

Why, op?

We usually have talk interspersed with silence. All very companionable!

Yes. Honestly it's such a treat. I love uninterrupted conversation with him. He's clever and interesting.

That's lovely Lyinginwait. Beautifully expressed.

That's how I feel too but have never thought about it like that before.

Yes lots, we both love to disagree debate politics, current affairs etc. and our lives are so intertwined with shared passions, friends etc I can't imagine running out of conversation.

We do talk a lot on a meal out although not so much during the actual eating portion!

I only ask as my boyfriend of 7 months finds it fully acceptable to sit in silence while waiting for the food and whilst eating despite my attempts to talk

That sounds awkward. Does he stare at the walls?

He will look at phoneor just stare around the restaurant. Jesus

Looking at the phone would get my goat.
I should be more Interesting to him then what's on the phone

Looking at phone is plain rude. And immature actually.

My dp sits silently and I try to make conversation. It's the same at home, I'll ask the kids stuff, they'll chatter away, dp will sit and eat silently. It hadn't used to be like this but it's one of the reasons I'm not happy in our relationship at the minute.

My dp looks at his phone too

Your boyfriend is incredibly rude.

I would take his phone off him and drop it in his drink.